Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-01-29

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From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] SERBIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER CONFERS WITH RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN

[02] KOSOVO AND METOHIJA MUST NOT BE LINKED TO SERBIAN ELECTIONS

[03] RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN: LOCAL ELECTIONS ARE SERBIA'S INTERNAL AFFAIR

[04] MILOSEVIC AND IVANOV DISCUSS ISSUES OF INTEREST TO YUGOSLAVIA AND RUSSIA

[05] FRY PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS WITH RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

[06] NEW DEMOCRACY LEADER CONFERS WITH RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

[01] SERBIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER CONFERS WITH RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN

Both sides stressed that democratic and political forces in the world made efforts to inform themselves impartially and accurately about the issue and contribute to its settling, said a statement released by the Serbian Parliament.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-29 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-28

[02] KOSOVO AND METOHIJA MUST NOT BE LINKED TO SERBIAN ELECTIONS

Baburin read out the delegation's joint statement at a news conference held at the Russian Embassy in Belgrade after a series of contacts with local government and opposition officials.

The statement stressed that the matter of municipal elections in Serbia was solely that Yugoslav republic's internal affair, and that the establishment of the final outcome of the November elections should no longer be delayed.

It further said that solutions to problems created since the November 17 elections must be sought on the basis of unconditional respect for the existing laws and of the recommendations of the delegation of the OSCE.

The State Duma delegation said that the settlement of the present situation in Serbia was of importance for stability in both the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Balkans as a whole.

The delegation, which late on Tuesday ended its three-day visit to Belgrade, said Russia could help Serbia and its parent Yugoslavia most by expanding bilateral economic cooperation, honouring its obligations to Yugoslav partners and promoting all other ties.

The delegation said it was impermissible that the leaders and supporters of the opposition coalition "Zajedno" should seek to decide the question of power in the street. It strongly urged for all political differences to be dealt with only within the framework of official and competent institutions.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-29 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-28

[03] RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN: LOCAL ELECTIONS ARE SERBIA'S INTERNAL AFFAIR

Baburin told Serbian Radio and Television that the purpose of the visit was to enquire why the municipal elections had caused tension in Yugoslavia and why interference in Yugoslavia's affairs was increasing under the guise of concern about the elections.

He said that the delegation had wanted to obtain information at first hand, in contacts with various political forces, and to investigate the consequences produced by the crisis in the rest of the Balkans.

It is Yugoslavia's unquestionable and inalienable right to deal with its internal affairs and problems, and this right must not be violated by anybody, Baburin said. He added that this was the shared view of President Boris Yeltsin, the Government and the State Duma, and that there were no differences on this point in the Russian Parliament.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-29 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-28

[04] MILOSEVIC AND IVANOV DISCUSS ISSUES OF INTEREST TO YUGOSLAVIA AND RUSSIA

Milosevic and Ivanov stressed the importance of continual political dialogue between Yugoslavia and Russia, two countries whose bilateral relations and all-round cooperation are characterized by a steady and intensive development.

Special accent was placed on the importance of the two countries' stable internal development.

The two sides underscored the joint stand that internal affairs and problems should be resolved within legal institutions of each state, which they noted rules out external interference in the internal affairs of other countries and imposition of solutions contrary to the principle of equality in relations between states and nations.

The meeting was attended also by Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic and Russian Ambassador in Belgrade Yury Kotov.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-29 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-28

[05] FRY PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS WITH RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

The talks dealt with the further promotion of comprehensive relations between the two countries, in the first place economic. Many bilateral agreements have been prepared, it was pointed out, following the lifting of UN sanctions against the FRY and it was now time for their full and accelerated realization.

Ivanov conveyed to President Lilic the official position of the Russian Federation that it was in the strategic interest of his country to preserve the integrity, unity of a democratic and independent Yugoslavia.

He pointed out that in Russia both the legislative and executive powers have an identical position, which has been confirmed by the current visit of the Russian Duma's delegation visit to the Yugoslav Parliament.

The official position of the Russian Federation is that the FRY is capable of solving by itself the problem that arose following the November local elections in a number of municipalities in Serbia, Ivanov said. He indicated that it was exclusively an internal affair of the FRY.

The Russian Federation, Ivanov said, rejects decisively interference by any side, as it could further complicate the situation. That is why this visit should not be interpreted as mediatory, but as the support of a friendly country to solve problems within Yugoslav institutions and thus contribute to the internal and external stability of the FRY, Ivanov specified.

President Lilic said that he respected such a position of the Russian Federation and that it coincided with the FRY view.

It is the position of Yugoslav and republican leaderships that problems and misunderstandings can be overcome only within state institutions, under FRY laws and Constitution, by agreement and political compromise, Lilic said.

That is the reason why a call had been made to OSCE, Lilic recalled. He added that he considered the OSCE report to be very good, and in the first place a constructive basis for resolving current misunderstandings.

There is no reason for not accepting the report by the opposition which has been demonstrating. If that is the case, than the basic fact we should bear in mind is that two sides are needed for dialogue. Dialogue and the solution of misunderstandings are long-term investments in the economic prosperity of the FRY and in its future, Lilic said and indicated that all political forces in the FRY should bear that in mind.

Electoral irregularities in a number of municipalities have faded away a long time ago for the opposition before their other objective - the destabilization of the country, President Lilic said.

He stressed that for the only remaining multiethnic state in the territory of the former Yugoslavia there was a future only for strong Yugoslav republics - Serbia and Montenegro, meaning at the same time a strong FRY.

Only in that case members of all peoples and national minorities can create indispensable conditions to live in a community of equal peoples, to foster their own historical and cultural tradition and thus make their contribution to the development of the democratic process and raise the level of political culture in their joint state. Otherwise, politically divided and destabilized, we can only become the subject of economic and any other domination, President Lilic said.

In his talks with the First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Lilic said he believed that the main political forces in the FRY were up to the task to assume responsibility for political dialogue and agreement which will restore in Yugoslavia political stability, economic revival and its full reintegration in international institutions and processes.

The talks were attended by Russian Ambassador to the FRY, Yury Kotov.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-29 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-28

[06] NEW DEMOCRACY LEADER CONFERS WITH RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

Mihajlovic said after the meeting that he and Ivanov had assessed that respect for the OSCE findings and dialogue between the authorities and the opposition in Serbia would help overcome the crisis created by the latest local elections in Serbia.

The ND President said Ivanov was not on a mediating mission but had come to Belgrade to convey the Russian Government's concern over the current situation in Serbia and its wish for the crisis to be resolved as soon as possible.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-29 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-28

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